Folding chair



Jan. 6.1925. 1,522,225

T. H. BIRMINGHAM FOLDING CHAIR Filed Nov. 30. 1923 Fig.2.

I I fiyz, 37 7 lNVE NTOR 771 am as Bi'rmz'rjZam ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

THOMAS H. BIRMINGHAM, or new YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING oHAIR.

Application filed. November 30, 1923. Serial No. 677,652.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. BIRMING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of Bronx and State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates essentially to a chair particularly useful in places of amusement schools or halls in which the seat swings upwardly when not in use to afford a passageway, and it especially provides means for mounting the seat between the standards.

An object of the invention is to equip the seat with side arms having sockets to revolve on gudgeons or axles formed on the standards.

Another object of the invention is to provide the sockets with a rim adapted to coact with a flanged fixture on the standard below the socket to prevent downward sag of the seat and at the same time obviating excessive frictional contact of the axle with the socket walls.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stop to limit the downward movement of the seat which is fixed to the standard and engaged by the rear portion of the arm whereby the weight carried by the seat when in use is equally divided between the lower fixture and stop.

Another object of the invention is to provide each standard with two gudgeons, one being behind the other so that two seats can be connected to three standards instead of four at a saving of space.

The invention resides more particularly in the novel combinations hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a chair embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar detail view showing theseat in its raised position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the rear portion of one of the arms.

In the drawing is shown a chair formed of two flanged standards each having leg portions 6, a back 7 and arm rests 8 ex tending forward from the back.- The back has transverse boards 9 fitted in openings in the sides of the back and secured to lugs 10 projecting from the, standard. The standards are made of cast'steel, angular in cross section to produce a strong, endurable structure for withstanding rough usage.

The means for mounting a seat 11 as indicated in Fig. 1 consists of a gudgeon 12 forming an integral part of the inner side of each standard. The seat is constructed of a number of transverse strips of wood supported on an arm 13 having a rim to prevent lateral shift of the strips. The arm has a socket 14 near its rear end best seen in Fig. 3 to mount the seat on the gudgeon and a hub 15 of the socket engages a flanged fixture 16 located below the center of the gudgeon.

In other words the seat when down as indicated in Fig. 1 is partly supported on the projecting flange of the fixture and the gudgeon. A rear extension 17 on the hub impinges onto a boss or stop 18 integral with the standard. This boss also serves as a stop to limit the backward movement of the seat by its coaction with a projection 19 located on the arm. The boss also takes up some of the downward strain placed onthe seat and also limits the downward movement thereof. In this joint the socket is at all times centered in its relation to the gudgeon and revolves about it with a minimum of friction.

When there are a number of seats in a row in order to gain as much room as possible three of the standards will suffice for two seats and the intermediate standard can be provided with two gudgeons one opposite the other as indicated in Fig. 3

for swingingly mounting oneside of the seat.

The standards are usually secured to the floor by bolts passing through the legs as is well-known.

I claim 1. A folding chair comprising a standard having a gudgeon, a seat carrying socket arm having a hub swingingly mounted on the gudgeon, a flange fixture on the standard engaging the hub of the socket below its axis to partly bear the strain on the seat, and a stop impinging on the standard extending rearwardly from the hub to prevent excessive downward movement of the 362115: I 2.- A folding chair comprising a standard having a gudgeon a seat carrying socket arm having a hub swingingly mounted on the gudgeon, a flange fixture on the standard engaging the hub of the socket below its axis to partly bear the strain on the seat, a stop impinging on the standard extending rearwardly from the hub to prevent excessive downward movement of the seat, and means forward of the gudgeon coacting with the stop to limit the backward move- 7 ment of the seat.

8. A folding chair comprising a standard having a gudgeon on each side thereof, a seat carrying socket arm having a hub swingingly mounted on each gudgeon, a flange fixture on the standard engaging the hub of each socket below its axis to partly ,bear the strain on the seat and a stop impinging on the standard extending rearwardly from the hub to prevent excessive downward movement of the seat.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

THOMAS H. BIRMINGHAM.

Witnesses MARGUERITE ALTVATER, WILLIAM MILLER. 

